Feature

13 Favorite Conceptual Photography Series from 2014

These 13 varied projects demonstrate some of the range that photography has to offer—from artful depictions of reality to the further bounds of dreams and fantasy. They were the “most viewed” on LensCulture in 2014. Enjoy!

Selection and text by LensCulture Editors

13 Favorite Conceptual Photography Series from 2014

These 13 varied projects demonstrate some of the range that photography has to offer—from artful depictions of reality to the further bounds of dreams and fantasy. They were the &#8220;most viewed&#8221; on LensCulture in 2014. Enjoy!

It’s dangerous and often misguided to try to label or categorize many forms of art. In the case of photography, the term “conceptual” seems like a somewhat loaded yet meaningless catch-all rather than a description of a movement, tendency or approach.

So, with that acknowledgment, these 13 varied projects demonstrate some of the range that photography has to offer—from artful depictions of reality to the further bounds of dreams and fantasy.

These series were among the most popular with the readers of LensCulture in 2014. Enjoy!

These pictures began to form not only a person’s living environment but also to constitute an excursion into the mental landscape: reflections of memories, reveries, fears and dreams. Using an age-old natural phenomenon coupled with modern photography, the images are quite multi-layered, simply executed (no PhotoShop) — and visually delightful at the same time!

This is the life story of Afsaneh Mobasser, born in Iran as a young girl of privilege, forced into exile, enduring unexpected journeys — all told through official government ID photos of her from age 7 to age 55. It won awards this year, and recognition around the world.

In each of August Sander’s pictures Michael Somoroff has erased the subject, retaining only the background, removing what we have always believed to be the “essential element” — the subject, the portrait.

Three generations of women from the same family — grandmother, mother and the photographer — all pose in the same clothes and situations, creating a dizzying hall-of-mirrors exploration about memories and life-changing events.

Martyrs is an interesting concept — “What would you give your life for? That’s a huge question, and that’s something that most of us don’t have to face every day.” Video artist Bill Viola talks about his 4-screen video installation in London’s Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

Just as all fairytales are rooted in psychological fears, hopes and real emotions—this elaborate photo story triggers dream-like reveries that echo deep inside the human psyche. A five-year labor of love which incorporates meticulous costume and set design into beautifully imagined tableaux.